Early and Presenting Symptoms of Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Background/Aims: To explore the presenting and early symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Method: Patients with mild dementia fulfilling diagnostic criteria for DLB (n = 61) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 109) were recruited from outpatient dementia clinics in western Norway. At diagnosis, caregivers were asked which symptom had been the presenting symptom of dementia. Results: Caregivers reported that memory impairment was the most common presenting symptom in DLB (57%), followed by visual hallucinations (44%), depression (34%), problem solving difficulties (33%), gait problems (28%), and tremor/stiffness (25%). In contrast, 99% of AD carers reported impaired memory as a presenting symptom, whereas visual hallucinations were a presenting symptom in 3% of the AD cases. Conclusion: DLB should be suspected in predementia cases with visual hallucinations. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel